The application entitled Defining Latino Intercultural Competence and Its Relationship to Depression, proposes to examine Latino intercultural competence, or proficiency of skills that facilitate cultural interactions, and its influence on psychological distress. This innovative construct will advance the research on mental health disparities by examining the underlying processes that link culture and psychopathology. The result will be a comprehensive account of cultural experiences that directly influence psychological functioning. The specific aims of the study are: 1) to refine Latino intercultural competence through the development of a culturally-appropriate measure, and 2) to examine the ability of the constructed Latino intercultural competence scale to predict mental health and depression. To accomplish the first specific aim, three sub-goals are outlined including: a) generation of items and development of the Latino intercultural competence scale;b) examination of reliability and exploration of factor structure;and c) analysis of validity. A methodological tool known as cultural consensus analysis, adapted from the field of medical anthropology, will be used to describe the features of Latino intercultural competence (aim sub-goal 1a). Examining scale reliability and validity will be accomplished via survey procedures to determine internal consistency and checks for content (aim sub-goal 1b-1c). The second specific aim will entail completing paper-and-pencil questionnaires to investigate the impact of Latino intercultural competence on mental health while accounting for orthogonal dimensions and subfactors of acculturation. The current project will add to current conceptualizations of adaptation and determine the skills-based factors that protect Latinos from negative psychological consequences. Such a focus is readily transferable to culturally-effective intervention efforts that ease recovery and prevention. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: As mental health problems, particularly depression, are a significant and growing problem in the Latino community, the relevance of this project is evident in its contributions to understanding the underlying aspects of Latino culture that serve to buffer individuals from negative psychological consequences. The information from the study will be used to facilitate more effective ways of dealing with psychological difficulties that take advantage of the resources that are characteristic of the Latino way of life. This will lay the groundwork for creating better management strategies of prevalent health and mental health problems in the Latino.